


coordinating

by comorbidity



Series: casual polycule [3]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Blow Jobs, M/M, Neck Kissing, now we're being REAL problematic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:54:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26869261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comorbidity/pseuds/comorbidity
Summary: George discovers that he has been considerably less discreet than he might have hoped. The consequences aren't the worst, however. sequel to testing.
Relationships: George Andrew/Alex Elmslie, George Andrew/Alex Elmslie/Will Lenney, George Andrew/Will Lenney
Series: casual polycule [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1962247
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	coordinating

If either George or Alex had actually expected to have a conversation about their recent developments, then they were proven summarily wrong. By light of day (and while sober), the challenge to put thoughts to words wound up being too difficult for them to bother with.

Regardless, things had changed. Somehow the abrupt middle of the night tryst had served as a seamless, silent transition between their previous living arrangement and this altogether new setup - which, in all fairness, was only "new" insofar as it featured such activities as snogging. Neither had deigned to put a name or explanation to it, but it hadn't been necessary. Wherever they had now wound up felt no less natural than where they had been before the encounter on the couch.

George had no complaints. He wasn't one for extensive heart to hearts, nor was he likely to raise concerns without warrant, and Alex clearly hadn't seen fit to force some sort of awkward "what are we" conversation. George had managed to duck that chat with Will (though that was primarily due to Will's own resistance to his own proclivities), and he was fine leaving things unspoken with Alex as well. He could enjoy this strange new twist without having to really explain it.

Perhaps they both felt that putting it to words would break some of the spell around it. George was happy enough to quietly enjoy the way Alex would come up behind him while he was making coffee, his roommate's arms snaking around his middle and chin resting upon his shoulder. There was no need to qualify the way George would sidle into Alex's room after he knew the other was finished streaming so that he could bother him into a kiss. And certainly no one raised any issue around the soppy way they'd lightly touch or brush past one another in the flat, thrilling over even the smallest contact.

George wouldn't have described it as a secret, per se, but there was no good way to go bringing it up. Nor had he seen reason to, given it was their own business. Thoughts of what Will might think had crossed George's mind, but there was no real claim there; certainly Will had never even kissed him, maybe thinking that a kiss would be too undeniably intimate. Surreptitious wanks were a go, but snogging was beyond the pale.

Inversely with Alex, nothing had really travelled below the belt, but George didn't mind so much. He could appreciate taking his time with Alex, given that he felt as though he actually had the freedom to do so. Somehow not really talking about it had taken little away from their mutual figuring things out, moving at a deliberate pace so unlike Will's abrupt leap into the more carnal hobbies. George had gone along with Will's sudden demands readily enough, still not the type to whinge in the face of some personal boon, but it was nice to take it slow sometimes.

Will hadn't come around for filming in a little while, and worries about how he might feel about the goings-on between George and Alex slowly drifted away from the fore of George's mind. He was sure the conversation would come up at one point or another, but he didn't need to trouble himself right away. If he did, then he might be forced to confront the possible reality of Will making good on his old suggestion of getting the three of them together for... god only knew what. And George was still reeling from his luck with Alex; he didn't even want to consider handling any more than that for a bit.

They had no difficulty keeping their activities under wraps for the most part. There was one memorable occasion in which Alex had crept into George's room after a group recording and was making to kiss him before he realised that George hadn't yet left the video call. Alex hadn't gotten any closer than a suspicious ducking-in before George caught him across the chest with one arm and - perhaps a bit aggressively - laughed off the gesture so that the others would assume it was a joke. Sure enough, the chat lit up with immediate ribbing - and no obvious suspicion. George was willing to listen to the others take the piss if it meant he and Alex were clear.

Their luck ran out not long after, however. In the minutes preceding a group call for a recording, Alex wasn't at the ready at his own computer. Rather, he was straddling George in the latter's chair, bargaining for a few more seconds before he had to run off. If George wasn't so keen on getting content for his main channel, he might have blown off the call in order to let Alex stay, but his reasonable side won out. He shooed Alex from the room, grinning to himself as Alex shot over an exaggerated pout as he left, and made to re-affix the mask that Alex had insisted on knocking askew at the last possible minute.

The recording itself went fine, once George managed to focus on the content at hand and pull his mind away from finding Alex after the call. There was even the possibility of a second video, which was always a bonus when dealing with a trove of material. George was so pleased with how things had turned out that he didn't immediately notice his phone light up with a message. It was only once he had saved everything and shut down his recording equipment that he glanced at his phone and noticed a text from Will.

_nice neck there, mate_

There were about two seconds of confusion before realisation struck George in a cold wash. In those moments before Alex had removed himself from George's lap, his hands had been on George's neck, because of course he knew by now how useful that area could be. Alex had stood up with one final rake of his nails over the skin, enough to leave behind a faint, lingering sting. George hadn't thought much of it at the time, but it seemed obvious now that there might have been a mark.

Before he could respond to Will, George knew he needed to gauge how bad the damage was. He went to the mirror in his bathroom first, but he couldn't see anything obvious. Returning to his computer, he booted up the footage he had just captured and began clicking through the timeline, fearing what he might see.

It was worse than he expected. For the first part of the recording, there had been four distinct red lines along the side of his neck, not even close to hidden by the bandanna. He might as well have had a neon sign indicating that there had been some manner of messing around immediately before the call. 

Closing his eyes, George let out a low, long exhale. Will wasn't an idiot. Either he would assume that someone else had been hiding in George's room off-camera, or he would correctly deduce that things between George and Alex had progressed beyond strictly platonic. And George wasn't so naive as to assume the former would be the case.

The question remained of whether Will would be irritated or excited.

George decided to opt for ignorance right out the gate, either way.

_ > what do you mean? _

_don't be thick. the scratches_

_ > right yeah, the cat got me _

George set his phone face down before he could see a response. His heart was hammering wildly, though he wasn't sure if the adrenaline was from eagerness or fear. He felt assaulted by a hundred different thoughts and impulses, all ranging from his prior convictions about delaying any three-way scenarios wobbling precariously, to a bizarre sense of guilt for having kept Will out of the loop, to a sort of violence toward Alex for marking up his neck.

There had been moments in which George had entertained the idea of keeping things with Will completely separate from those with Alex - including even chatting about it - but that possibility had fallen flat. Now, he was going to have to deal with it, one way or another.

Abandoning his phone, George went off to find Alex. He half-expected Will to come bursting in the door regardless - it wouldn't be the first time - and he wanted to catch Alex before there were any potential interruptions.

Alex was still at his desk, headphones on and attention absorbed by his phone. He glanced up as George entered, then back at the phone screen, then back at George in a double-take; perhaps he had noticed what was likely a strained expression on George's face.

"What's up?" Alex asked, removing the headphones and sitting up straight, as though he sensed the gravity of George's arrival. "Don't tell me you lost the footage."

"Bit worse than that." George sat on the edge of Alex's bed and took another deep breath. "You left a mark on my neck, you idiot. Will saw."

Alex raised his eyebrows in a look of mild scepticism. "...And?"

"And..." George momentarily fumbled for words, thrown by Alex's apparent indifference. "And now he... y'know, now he knows."

"You mean he didn't?" Alex was still bemused. "Figured you would've told him at some point."

"Yeah, w-well," George said with some difficulty. He didn't know how to suddenly reconcile Alex's cavalier attitude toward Will's knowledge of their... whatever it was, with his own assumption that they ought to keep it on the down-low. "We haven't even talked about it, so why on earth would I talk to Will?"

"I mean," Alex said, "we could've. Just never came up, innit." He lifted a shoulder. "I wouldn't worry too much about it."

George was still too agog to reply properly. He almost admired Alex for being so unbothered; he wished he could feel similarly at ease, rather than being torn between hiding from his phone and other people for a while and inviting Will over right that very moment. Of course, it wasn't as though George had ever brought up Will's idea to Alex, and he definitely wasn't about to do so now. And that left him in a very challenging position.

"Right," George said eventually. He knew he had no choice but to check his messages sometime, but going back to his room already felt like a formidable task, so he stalled for another moment by fussing with an invisible spot on Alex's bedspread.

Alex took note of the hesitation and offered George the kindness of an eyeroll. "You're the only one making a big deal out of this. Look at it this way. Does Mia know?"

"I mean... yeah." The question of her approval had come up the moment Will had accosted George for the first time, sputtered only semi-coherently as George had attempted to process Will's suggestion. Will had merely shrugged and said she was all right with it, though George hadn't necessarily believed that until he had received a text from Mia herself. _he's figuring himself out, just bear with him_. And so George had, to the best of his ability.

"All right. So Mia knows. And so do I, obviously. It's not like this is some well-kept secret."

George blinked; he hadn't considered that. "You reckon?" he asked weakly.

"Mate," Alex said, almost patronising.

"What about James?"

"Wouldn't put it past him to have cottoned on."

Anguished now: "And everyone else?"

"I don't know," Alex griped. "I don't go around asking, 'oi you lot, who here knows that Will and George are shagging?'"

"We're not -"

"Whatever," Alex interrupted loudly. "Point is, as far as I can tell, you're the only one kicking up a fuss."

George finally felt something that wasn't helpless bewilderment: indignation. "But this is - this kind of thing is _private_ ," he complained, voice raising in spite of himself. "Does no one else think that?"

"Not everyone is quite as obsessed with privacy as you are," Alex replied. "Look, I know you enjoy keeping things to yourself, but... be real, George. We're all mates here. No one cares."

George bit his tongue. It was all well and fine for the others to go airing their personal matters to the world, but he had never been the type to broadcast that information. And while what Alex was saying was likely true, it didn't make it any easier for George to come to terms with the fact that his slagging around in the friend group was somehow common knowledge. 

Was he genuinely the only one who thought it was a big deal? He had spent enough hours agonising over the definitions and what-ifs, not once considering that he was the only obstinate cog in an otherwise smoothly operating system. Will's apparent difficulty with accepting his own preferences had indicated to George that whatever was going on mattered quite a lot, but now he wasn't quite as sure. 

_he's figuring himself out_

Maybe Will was being more productive about it than George, who hadn't even tried to put words to his situation. Will was less chatty about it, but he certainly took action, which was more than George had ever done. He hadn't even made the first foray with Alex, leaving the other to bring it up.

"Right," George said again, slowly this time. Alex was regarding him with an indecipherable expression, probably wondering if his somewhat callous reassurances had taken any effect. "Right, okay."

"Gonna make it?" Alex asked with a trace of a smirk, perhaps contented that George was no longer about to combust.

"Yeah... yeah, I think I'm all right." George got to his feet and made for the door. "I'm gonna message Will."

"Good on you," Alex called after him with only a touch of gentle derision. It sounded mostly genuine. Mostly.

George went back to his room, sensing his confidence slip only slightly as he reached for his phone. But he was determined now; there was no use in hiding from Will, because there was little reason for doing so. In fact, there was far more to be gained by looping him in.

There was only one message, sent minutes after George's last quip.

_I'll be round in a bit_

George closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. He wasn't sure if Will had any intentions in mind, but George was sure he could navigate whatever may come. His chat with Alex had first destabilised then bolstered him, and now he felt ready to face Will and get everything sorted.

So he hoped, anyhow. And he still wasn't sure what "sorted" would entail.

George sent an affirmative text much too late, but he didn't want to risk Will second-guessing his self-invite. Now there was only a matter of waiting, which proved to be a difficult task when nothing could adequately distract him. He flopped uselessly onto his bed, consumed by picturing how his conversation with Will might go... and how things might progress beyond that point.

He thought of Will deciding to show up with little preamble, determined to assert his involvement.

He thought of Alex in the other room, not particularly busy at all.

He thought of being able to enjoy both of their company at the same time - but he quickly shoved those images aside, not wanting to be in any sort of state when Will showed up.

Grimacing to himself, George stared at the ceiling and waited for the sound of Will's arrival. 

* * *

When the door banged open and Will strode into the room, George nearly jumped out of his skin. He sat up, one hand to his chest. "Jesus christ, you could knock -"

"Al let me in," Will said, ignoring George's complaint. He shut the door behind him and took a seat on the edge of the bed, his eyes drifting toward George’s neck. George raised a hand to rub at the spot self-consciously, even though he knew nothing was there.

"To my bedroom?"

"So, tell me about it, then," Will went on, continuing to act as though he couldn't hear George. "All the dirty details."

"I don't see how it's any of your business," George said. He hadn't intended to take a defensive stance, but being startled had set him on edge. Still, he was almost curious to know how Will would react to the statement.

"Oh, it's not," Will agreed. "But I think you were gonna tell me anyway, yeah?"

George's mouth twisted into a slight frown - because Will was right, the prick, but that didn't make his claim any less infuriating. "Technically, this was your idea."

"My idea." Will repeated the words in a tone of gleeful incredulity. "My idea for you lot to go sneaking around? Good one, lad. Counterpoint: neither of you are very sneaky, and to be honest it's a shame you didn't tell me sooner."

George had to take a moment to recover from the second accusation of not being particularly subtle, and his concerns for what the friend group at large might know redoubled anew. But he forced himself to focus on Will, who was still regarding him with an almost manic energy in his eye. Will certainly wasn't upset, but he was feeling strongly about... something.

"And why is that?" George asked. He felt he did a good job sounding self-assured in spite of his rapid pulse.

"Told you, thought it might be fun to have him join. But then the two of you go off on your own!" Will gave a derisive huff, though there was still a smile playing about his lips. "Hardly fair."

"Well... bit late now," George said, no longer as steady as he had been moments before. There was something in Will's exuberant stare that was throwing him off - and not in a way that was entirely terrible.

"Not at all," Will replied pleasantly. He sidled closer to where George was sitting. "In fact, I told Alex he ought to come round and join us in a few."

"What?" The exclamation came out sharper than George intended as his anxiety flared. Regardless of what he had been daydreaming about previously, he still wasn't ready to have the two of them sprung on him with so little warning. "Will, why would you -"

"Saving us both the trouble," Will interrupted. "And I'm helping you pick up where you left off." He ran a thumb over where the scratches would have been. "I feel a bit silly, to be honest - I completely forgot about you and your neck."

George, who still wasn't accustomed to gentler gestures coming from Will, felt his skin erupt in gooseflesh at the touch. "I figured it didn't matter anyhow." Which was a petulant thing to say, but being able to be affectionate with Alex had ignited that small fire of entitlement within him.

"Oh, don't be like that," Will admonished, leaning close enough so that his lips were brushing George's neck with every other word. "I was just taking my time, see."

George wanted to say something about how the nervous energy Will had radiated during most encounters communicated more about wanting to turn around than progress forward, no matter the pace, but the mouth at his neck was proving to be a distraction. Instead he gave a small laugh, barely a chuckle and with little to no humour. This wasn't a particularly funny situation; in fact, it felt deadly serious in spite of the joking around. They had barely talked about any of this, and this was the closest George had come to asserting what he wanted.

Maybe Will had picked up upon George's tension, because he drew back enough to meet eyes. "You all right?" he asked, with no hint of his former joshing tone.

"I'm fine," George said. He took a breath and tipped his head away from Will. "Go on, then."

In his peripheral vision, George could see the smile creep back onto Will's face, and then the latter was at his neck once more. This time Will didn't hesitate before putting his mouth to the sensitive skin there, beginning with a soft kiss that quickly evolved into something with a bit more teeth. George could tell by the force with which Will was laying the sucking, biting kiss that there would definitely be bruising - and it wouldn't be in a place hidden by the mask. No face cams for a little while, then, though that hardly mattered.

One of Will's hands had George's opposite jaw in a firm grip, holding him in place as Will made to leave another mark. George restrained himself from making a noise as he felt teeth nip at his neck. He had half a mind to stop Will before his entire neck got bruised, but it was difficult to deny himself the breathless pleasure he was currently experiencing.

After a final mark, more quickly lain than the others, Will drew away. He spent a moment admiring his work, looking fairly pleased with himself. "That'll stick around better than the scratches," he declared proudly, as though it were a competition. Perhaps in some small way it was - at least to Will. Either way, George felt like he was coming out on top.

"Make it obvious why don't you," George said. He wasn't sure whether he was referring to the marks or Will's semi-resentful attitude toward Alex's ministrations. Realistically the idea of being marked up was thrilling, and so too was the thought that Will might be jealous. Again, George sensed he was the one winning here.

"You're feisty today," Will said, almost admiringly. "I like this George."

"Funny, because I like it when you act like you actually want to be doing this.” It was probably the most pointed comment George had levied at Will throughout the entirety of their "involvement," and he felt a rush of moderately terrified exhilaration at the utterance.

Will's brow twitched at that. "You think I haven't been enjoying myself?"

"You certainly don't act like it." The words still sounded too querulous given that Will still had one hand on George's face and George was still trying to ignore his slight erection, but if the conversation had to happen, it was going to happen now.

Will pouted. "In my defense, it's all a bit new to me," he said in a lightly affronted tone. 

"You think it's not new to me?" George asked incredulously. Maybe he had been far less overtly riled up over their activities than Will had ever been, but that was mostly owing to George's willingness to go along with something from which he could benefit. He had a stubborn streak for certain causes, but getting off wasn't necessarily one of them.

"I don't know, really." Will lifted one eyebrow. "You cagey bastard."

"Shut up," George muttered. So much for having a proper conversation. He wanted to quiet Will with a kiss - god knew Alex used that move on him often enough - but he was still hesitant to try his luck. 

Will had opened his mouth to defy that order when there came a knock at the door.

"Come in," George called out, not looking away from Will. There was no way this would look like anything that it wasn't, and George couldn't quite bring himself to watch Alex enter.

Alex sidled into the room quietly, quite the opposite of Will's brash entrance. George could feel the gaze upon him - maybe his neck again - but he continued to stare unseeingly at Will, who was the only one who had turned to face Alex.

"Thought you'd changed your mind," Will said. His hand finally moved from George's face to offer a small wave. "About time."

"I didn't want to interrupt," Alex replied drily. "Unless that was the idea."

George almost couldn't focus beyond the pounding in his chest. If there had been a tension between him and Will, then it had quadrupled since Alex's arrival. He eventually chanced a glance in Alex's direction; his flatmate was wearing one of his typically flat expressions, mostly unreadable save for the hard glint in his eye. Alex was looking at Will now.

"Too right," Will replied. "See, I was just showing George how it's done." He gestured toward the lurid spread along George's neck. "That's the way we do it!"

"I know that," Alex said in an indignant tone. "Just because I have more discretion..."

"For the man who don't show himself off anyway! Fuck off with that." Will's merriment did nothing to soothe George's racing heart; George could actually feel sweat beading on his temple. "Might as well have fun with it, lad."

George didn't know how to feel about being spoken of like an impassive party in the room, the object of interest causing Alex and Will's little domestic. Being treated somewhat like a means to an end with Will had been endurable because Will was obviously going through some sort of personal process, but the dynamic changed when it was two others discussing how George might properly be used.

He had never believed himself to be on the submissive side - still didn't, all things considered - but his role of being coveted by competing parties shot him with a bizarre sense of glee. 

Of course, they didn't need to compete, and they both knew it. Alex was the first to give, the tightness around his eyes relaxing as he took a tentative step toward the bed. "And he doesn't mind?" he asked, still sounding a tad dubious.

"I'm right here," George said. They ignored him.

"He'll be all right - won't you, George?" He wrapped an arm around George's shoulders and gave him an amicable shake. The fingers squeezed his upper arm with intent, and George repressed a shiver. He managed to nod, a bit too eagerly, but it would have to do.

Alex was now sitting on the other side of him. George felt very much enclosed by the men on either side, but he couldn't say he minded. He didn't know where to look, eventually deciding to follow the path of Will's hand as it slid from his shoulder down his side. Alex had decided to remove George's hat and went on to fuss idly with his hair, flattening the bits that had been skewed by the hat.

"Have you ever sucked him off?" Will asked with an inflection that implied he was chatting about the weather. 

"I haven't," Alex replied slowly. George could feel Alex's eyes on his own, but he couldn't meet the stare. He was still watching Will's hand, which was now fiddling very distractingly with the lower hem of his shirt.

"Really? I'd rate that."

George bristled. "You haven't -"

"I'm saying I _would_ ," Will cut in. "I'd love to see Alex here give it a go."

Alex's hand was on George’s shoulder now. "Is that all right with you?" he asked, actually addressing George now. The inclusion was almost unexpected.

"Yeah, I, yeah, I mean," George fumbled out as Will ran his hands over one of George's thighs. "Go for it." The statement came out about as casual as the fingers now tracing the outline of his erection. 

Alex took a moment to coax George's face toward him, placing both hands to either side of George's head and pulling him into a soft kiss. When he drew away, he was wearing a wry, apologetic smile. "I'm a bit rusty, so you'll have to bear with me."

George was momentarily struck with the similarity to Mia's old reassurance about Will, but he couldn't focus on the thought for long. Alex had slid away enough so that he was settled comfortably between George's legs. Will had already made quick work of undoing George's pants and helping to pull them out of the way - there was a bit of a fumbling mess as contortions were made to get the clothing off the body and onto the floor - but soon George was half-naked and feeling appropriately exposed before Alex's wandering gaze.

"Get the shirt off too," Will said. "You look like a nonce."

"This is your fault," George retorted, but he obediently peeled his top off and threw it aside. Now there was absolutely nothing covered up - and that was a circumstance, both literal and figurative, in which George rarely found himself in front of others.

Alex had wrapped a hand around George's cock and was stroking it languidly. His grasp was lighter and yet somehow more determined than Will's, though perhaps it was because Alex wasn't preoccupied with second-guessing himself. Will, for his part, was nuzzling back into George's neck, though with no biting kisses this time. Still, even the smallest contact had George's hair standing on end.

"Lucky day for you, George," Will muttered. George could feel the bass of the other's voice against his skin. "I'll have what he's having."

"It's George's turn," Alex said, with a hint of defensiveness that George relished. "You've got hands."

"Yeah well, that's less fun, innit?" 

"I disagree. Depends on the situation." Alex was still speaking conversationally even as he positioned himself closer to George's cock. "Anyway, I'm busy." He began a slow exploration of the length of the cock with his tongue, moving with a grace that George would have never called out of practice. He was already having to resist thrusting his hips into Alex's direction; he attempted to content himself with white-knuckled gripping of his bedspread.

As Alex worked, Will started kissing along George's stubbled jaw. It was the closest he had come to actually snogging, but he was still keeping his distance from the mouth. George couldn't be sure why, and it was a shame either way. He was desperate to know how Will's usual bravado would translate into a kiss. 

George made a small noise when Will brought his fingers up to scratch lightly against the skin on the opposite side of his neck. The combination of the fingernails, Will's scattered kisses, and Alex's practiced oral techniques had George light-headed. He wasn't sure how long he could last, and he was ready to be at least a little embarrassed.

"Do something with your hands, mate," Will murmured into George's ear. "Might as well put 'em to use."

George, who had been using his arms to hold himself steady as he was set upon by the two others, lifted one tentative hand in an almost supplicating gesture. "Like what?" he asked, brain still too addled to think straight.

"Grab his head," Will said. "Go on." There was something about the smooth instruction that made George's heart skip, and he threaded his fingers through Alex's hair without objection. He didn't want to push Alex around - or throw him off the rhythm that was already working so well - but he allowed his hand to follow the motions of Alex's head, taking care not to grip the hair too tightly in his semi-delirium.

Will was nosing back into George's neck again, chuckling so low it was barely audible. "There's a good lad."

Later there would be time for shame, but now George could only focus on the climax that had struck him the moment he heard Will's praise. He kept his hand pressed to the back of Alex's head but took care to loosen his fingers from the hair for fear of ripping it out of his friend's scalp. That was about as far as his mindfulness went as the orgasm thrummed through him in radiating jolts. Every muscle was taut as Alex kept his mouth on George's cock and Will kissed another biting mark into his neck. The myriad stimuli was almost too much; George was afraid he might black out for a moment.

But the waves of pleasure subsided eventually, and both of the others were pulling away. Alex wiped his lips with the back of his hand and looked up at George, expression somewhat abashed but still fairly pleased. George glanced to the side to see Will grinning widely in a sort of triumph, but George was too exhausted to mind the smugness.

"That's the spirit," Will said, sounding well proud of himself. "How was that for you, George?"

"Great, yeah," George managed, which was the understatement of the decade. His hand found Alex's almost unconsciously as the other straightened up and scooted over toward where George was sitting - or rather, slumping. "Epic."

"Oh, come on," Alex groaned. He leaned his head on George's shoulder.

"He's right," Will said. He leaned back on both hands, observing the other two with a small grin. "Aren't you lot adorable."

Alex sneered - George could feel Alex's face twisting against his shoulder - but George could only reply with a short, breathless laugh. It was impossible to feel much more than weary contentment at that moment.

"We look grim," Alex muttered, more toward George than Will. "You're the only one not wearing any clothes."

"That's not my fault," George said, summoning enough energy to be indignant. He reached for his shirt only for Will to catch his wrist.

"Hold on." The hard glint was back in Will's eye again - the one that usually preceded their little rendezvous - and George felt a momentary flash of concern. "You've had your turn - what about us?"

George, who felt as though he could curl up and fall asleep right then, shrugged helplessly. "Like Al said, you've got hands." He could feel Alex's quiet laughter against him. "I need a break."

"See, this is why I get off first," Will griped. "Lazy bastard." He tilted his head and directed his gaze to Alex. "What about you, then?"

"I just did all the hard work!" Alex retorted, sitting up again. "You just got to sit around and take it easy."

"I think George was the one taking it easy," Will said. But he tipped George a wink. "Fine, all right. Take your break. But you both owe me one." He pointed at each of them in turn.

Alex frowned. "What about me?"

" _You've got hands_ ," Will replied in a high, mocking voice as he mimed the gesture in question. "Keep it fair, like."

"Asshole." There was no real malice in Alex's tone. "Weren't you the one with one foot in the closet, eh?"

Will waved off the question. "Never mind that - we're here now, and that's all we need to be concerned with." He grabbed George's shirt and tossed it over to give George some small form of cover. "No reason not to invite me along."

"Apart from you being a prick," George said as he draped the shirt over the crook of his legs for now.

"I'm hurt, George." Will raised a hand to his chest to accompany the mournful declaration. "After all I've done for you -"

"Leaving my neck bruised all to hell, you mean." George added a tight smile to make it sound moderately less harsh. He felt no real ill will, but he was enjoying having the upper hand for at least a brief moment. "I'd say we're even."

Will's dropped into an offended O shape. "Selfish," he said dramatically. "Who knew?"

"Anyone, if you ask me," Alex replied. He squeezed George's hand as he said it. 

"This has turned into a very hostile environment," George cut in with a loud voice. "I would like you both to leave my room so that I can get dressed."

"Right." Will slapped his knees and clambered from the bed, offering a hand to Alex once he was standing. Alex rolled his eyes and batted the hand away as he got to his feet.

"I'm going to order a pizza," Alex said. "Anyone else want in?" 

"I'd love pizza," George said. For a moment he could almost forget that he was sitting there naked as two of his friends, who had both only just helped get him off, stood around his bed.

"Brilliant idea," Will said as he clapped Alex on the shoulder. "Let's order that and let the man get his knickers on."

The two walked out, shutting the door behind them. George took a moment to catch his breath after they left, internally debating whether or not he had just dreamed the last ten minutes or so. The distant thrum of dizzy pleasure still rolling around in his mind indicated otherwise - as did the fact that he was still very much exposed.

As he dressed (swapping the old shirt for a clean one), he played back every moment he had just experienced. The commandeering attitude of Will's that hadn't gone away with his newfound confidence - though that was hardly surprising. Alex's quiet but reverent touch, deliberate and affectionate in contrast to Will's brazen levity - which, to be fair, was still a welcome shift from his earlier repression. He thought of the bickering at the tail end of things... but even that wasn't really an issue, since that was just how they acted anyway.

George found his hat on the floor and put it back on before leaving the room. He was somehow absolutely certain that the other two would be chatting shit as though nothing had happened, but that was probably for the best. If he had learned anything recently, it was that sometimes there was no need to make a big deal out of things. Everyone would be a lot happier for it.

It was bizarre to walk out as the only one having gotten their share, but that left George to consider the possibility of what might come next. Will had indicated that he had other, grander intentions - would those still be on his radar? George wasn't quite sure how to feel about it yet, but... thinking about having Alex around made any of the imagined prospects a little easier to swallow. Will was the trailblazer; Alex could be the moral support.

Christ. It felt so nice to have these things out there.

George rubbed at the place where Will had absolutely ravaged his neck. Maybe Alex could have a turn next time. Fuck it, might as well wreck the whole thing while they were at it.

He stopped that train of thought before he joined the others in the common area, for a moment determined to get something to eat before they all got distracted again. He stood beside Will, who was looking over Alex's shoulder as the latter sat on the couch, making the delivery order.

Alex tapped a final button and flicked his gaze upward toward Will. "Order's been placed," he announced. "Forty-five minutes."

Will groaned. "Forty-five minutes," he repeated shrilly. "I'll starve before then."

Alex spread his arms in a "what can you do" gesture before tossing his phone aside. He looked up to note George's presence and lifted his chin in greeting. Glancing back at Will, he asked, "What now?"

Will looked askance to meet George's eye. George, who couldn't help but dwell on a number of suggestions for what they could do to pass the time - since they would have to wait _anyway_ \- raised his eyebrows at Will. Some silent thought passed between them, and then Will's _look_ had returned. 

With a wide, enthusiastic grin, Will ruffled Alex's hair with one hand and slung the other arm around George's neck. "Lads... I think I might have some ideas. Great ones, in fact."

As it turned out, he wasn't wrong.

**Author's Note:**

> oh no it finally happened
> 
> not sure what actually caused those scratches but they made great inspiration
> 
> anyone see that recent video? boy howdy. much to think about. anyway i'd like to blame that for why this became such a mess, even though it's actually entirely my fault. it's too late. this is out in the world, and you're all coming down with me. 
> 
> anyway, as always, sorry and goodnight


End file.
